Process of freezing water.



W, U. FELT.

PRGCESS 0F FHEEZING WATER.

APPUCHN FILED IUNE 7, 1912. RENEWDSLPV H. 191?.

Patented July 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@@Qfaa@ TH i ATTUR W. U. FELT.

PROCESS 0F FHEtZlNG WATER.

APPUCAUON man mNE 11912` awawwsun n, 1911.

1 ,271,879. Patonml July ,i, 125i may M I mbv i l ATTORNEYS 1 WILLARD O. FELT, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF FREEZIN G WATER.

Application led Tune 7, 1912'. Serial NoA 'ZWIZBL T all whom t may concern:

Be it. known that l, VVILLARD O. FELT, a `Citizen ot' the United States, and resident. of Bradford, county of lllIeKean.y and `State ot Pennsylvania, have invented certain new ,and useful Improvements in Processes of AI*`1eezing Water, of whit-h the following is `a slecification. y

` y invention relates to a process for freezing water for the purpose of making ice for commercial and domestic uses. ln` the processes heretofore employed either in the plate or can method the heat which must be extracted from the water to reduce it to the freezing point, and the latent heat given off in the act of freezing has all been compelled to pass through the gradually thickening shell or layer of ice, whieh, as is well known, is a poor conductor ot heat.y with the 2o result that much time is consumed before the water frozen solid. Furthermore in some processes where the Water to be frozen Vis previously treated and boiled to remove impurities and air, it is sometimes impossible toremove all traces of the substances used to precipitate the impurities. If this is the oase, such ice often retains a tang and "usually melts more readily than other ice.

On the other hand when using pure Water 3o without boiling. or other treatment the ice formed is usually very porous or filled with numerous air bubbles whichvgive a milky appearance, to the ice, and in can ice the center of the block is frequently hollow.

By my improved process l overcome. these objections by first freezing a shell of ice around the inside of the cans or vessels and then circulating' the Water to be frozen in the cans, through coils cooled below the 4o freezing point of Water so as to quickly re duce the temperature of the Water to the freezing point or slightly below and while the water is circulating through the cans and coils gradually build up the cakes or shells 4of ice in the cans, which will be done by the freezing of layer upon layer of ice on the inside ot' the shell. Air at a low temperature is also used to assist in reducing the temperature as vvell as agitating the water to prevent the formation of bubbles in the ice. When the shell of ice in the cans becomes sullicientlythick and the temperature of the circulating water is at or slightly be low the freezing temperature of 32 F., the

circulation is stopped and as soon as the waterkn the cans or vessels within the shell Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1 91 s.

Renewed September 8, 1917. Serial No. 190,880.

of ice becomes quiescent it will quickly freeze Solid to the renier. lly this process the ice blocks are l'orrned Without air bubbles and hence elem' as rrystal ard solid to the center.

Une form of apparatus t'or carrying out my improved process is disclosed in the ac companying drawings in whieh- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section` throu h the apparatus, the pump connections Jeing indicated diagrammatleally.

Fig. 2 is a plan vil-w, partially diagrammatic.

Fig. is a sectional view of a detail.

Fig. l is a horizontal section of my improved vessel in ivhirh ire is formed, indicating how the needles of ice are formed therein.

Fig. 5 is a section of the circular form of veSSeLslmWinr how the ire is termed in such vessel.

Fig. 6 is a view of one oi my rorrugated vessel showingr how the ice is formed in such ice therein.

Fig. 7 represents the block of ice still attached to the bottom plate of the can after stripping off the can, and

Fig. 8 represents a block of ice.

It is a well known fact that ice. forming in a pond or vessel is accomplished by first loweringf the temperature of the Water to the point of its greatest density 35)@ F. durnO' which time or until the water reaches this temperature the currents iu the water move downward and then as th;-y temperature continues to fall, the colder noter being lighter will stay at or rise to the top of the pond or vessel where as the freezingr point is reached the water starts to freeze by throwing out crystals or needles ot' ice from the sides of the pond or vessel. When ice forms in a round vessel the needles of ice start from the points 1 to l0 of ay decagg'ou as shown in Fig. ."a of the drawings. These needles will at first extend to the point ot' the pentagon of the series say for example 2 and il will then send out needles at right anglesl as shown in the. diagram. When,

however. the sides ot' a vessel are eorrugated decagonally as shown in Fig. l, the needles will commence at the inside points of the eorrugations much sooner, about onehalf the time that it takes to form in a. Cireular vessel and these needles will form much more rapidly in a corrugated vessel than in a circular vessel. This is because in the oorrugated vessel for the same diameter We l.. w much greater surface in actual contact with the freezing mixture and on Which the needles will form. In a corrugated vessel as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the corruations l to 10 will ll up with ice needles, et us sa in from twenty minutes to half an houryw creas in a circular vessel it would take about three hours to cover the inside of the vessel With a thin coating or shell of ice.

For this reason in carrying out my invention l I prefer to use a corrugated vessel in which to form the ice.

As is well known ice is a poor conductor of heat, therefore in freezin ice from the outside toward the center 1t forms very slowly. I have discovered that when the ice begins to form the heat can be more quickly and readily removed from the inside of the shell and the artificial ice can be made much quicker and cheaper b freezingit on the inside than attempt to reeze it from the outside toward the center.

I will now describe in detail my improved apparatus for carryin out my process which consists as may be roadly stated -in forming :i shell of ice around a-body of Water, Aremovmg the water` from -the shell. lowering the temperature of the removed water to the freezing point and then forcing the water back into the ice shell and permittin the Water to freeze solid to thc center.

he parts lettered A, A', A2 and A3 on the drawings represent a series of tanks open at the top. While I have shown four of such tanks there may be a greal er or less number as desired, it bein understood of course from the following escription that it is ner:- essary to have an even number of such tanks always. The bottom of every alternate tank A and A2 is provided on its inner face with pivoted buttons or catches a and a2. B and l5 are the vessels in which the ice is formed. Phe sides b of these vessels are corrugated vertically and the 'top and bottom edge of each is provided Witha band b and 62 which fits in said corrugated sides. Each of thesel bands has radial slots o and b* intowiich are fitted bolts by which the top and bottom of the vessel is Secured. The bottom b5 of the vessel consists of a thick plate circular in form having radial slots b therein which register with the slots b4. The bolts bi enter said radial slots and fasten the bottom to the vessel. The inner face of the bottom of the vessel is provided with undercut or' dove tailed recesses 718. The top of the vessel consists of a dome shaped plate b", provided vvith radial slots blo which register with the slots b3. b are bolts which pass through this slot to hold the top on the vessel. Gaskets may be placed between bands Zi and 7)* and the to and bottom of the vesscl so as to make t 1e joint perfectly tight. The bottom of cach vessel is provided with represents a pump of any well known construction. I) is a supply pipe leading from said nunp, one end of which is screw threa ed into the openin bl# d is a couplin by which one section of the pipe is coup ed or disconnected. E is a short Section of pipe screw-threaded into the outlet opening b1 and closed at one end by al plug e. The upper end of this ipe has fitted to it alT marked E', the said Il' being secured to the pipe by the external and internal screwthreaded glandsh?. This pipe E has an opening e therein which registers with the opening in the T. F is a pipe Which is screw-threaded into the o )ening 615 and into the opening; in the end o the pipe E. This pipe F pro]ects into vessel B nearl. to the bottoni. G is a pipe which is screvwt ireaded into E and is coupled as shown to a coil H which is inserted into the tank A or A3. This coil is connected to a pipe J which is connected to the inlet b of the tank B', said pipe being provided with a coupling by which the pipe J can be disconnected so that the vessel B may be removed from the tank. The last coil in the series is connected by a pipe J" to the pump C. The introduction of the cold air into the pump circuit may be accomplished in any preferred manner and at any convenient polnt, as for instance by suitable valve connections at J 2. The method of cooling the air is not shown and any Well known method may be employed. K is a pump which has the pipe L leading therefrom. This pipe L is formed .into a coil L in the first tank which surrounds the vessel B. L2 is a pipe which is connected to the bottom of this coil and leads up into the next tank A Where it is formed into another coil L3. L* is a pipe attached to the bottom of this coil, which leads vertically into this tank and is connected to anoth r coil L5 in the tank A2 which surrounds t 1e second vessel B4. L is another pipe extending vertically into this tank and connected to another' coil L" in the tank A3. This last coil is connected by the vertical pipe Ls to the lead ipe L9 which leads to the pump K. The alco ol and Water or suitable` brine solution circulated by the pump K through the pipesland coils connected therewith is cooled to the requisite temperature by. any well knownmethod, the apparatus for which may be introduced at any desired point of the system as for instance at K2 in Fig. 2.

Having now described the different parts of my apparatus, the manner of operating 1t to carry out my process will now be set forth. The vessels B and B areinserted in the tanks A and A2 and secured in place by 25 i through the pipes J', coils H and vessels B,

the top as heretofore described.

the buttons a.""I:`hese vessels are 'nowilledv with-water and the tops secured thereto. The pipes `E and F are then filtened to The pipes D and J are coupled to the inlet pipe in each of these vessels. The tanks A and A8 are filled with a mixture of chlorid of calcium solution which is at about a temperature ot F. and the tanks A and A2 are filled with brine or an ordinall saltK solution at about 15C F. The pipes and coils L' are then lilled with water containing a small quantity of alcohol or other non-freezing substance to prevent the Water from freezing at a lower temperature While the apparatus is in operation. The pump K is started and the nonfreezing mixture is circulated through thc cooling apparatus K2 ,and the system of pipes L and coils L'. As it circulates it will reduce the temperature of the Water in the vessels B and B', the initial temperature of which is usually 6U to 70 F. and a film or shell of ice will form around the water. Or by reversing the pump C and taking air cooled to 0 F. or below and forcing it B' in the reverse direction, that is, have the cold air enter the pipes E and bubble up through the water and pass out through the opening b and will thus rapidly cool the water until the shell ofice begins to form. WVhen this shell of ice is formed, air under pressure and at a temperature of at least 0 F. is forced through the pipes D by the air pump C into the vessel B which drives out the water in this vessel through the pipe F. Itis to be understood that the air forced through Rthepipe Dl at 0o F. is cooled to that pointby any Well known method, the apparatus for which is diagrammatically indicated at J2.

`The expansion of the air upon entering this vessel and performing work to force the water out of the vesselthrough the pipe F will ,lower the temperature of the water in this vessel, The water at this lowered temperature is forced through the pipe G, through "the coil H and through `the pipe .l into thel other -vessel B' placed in the third 'tank A2, which forces the water out of that vessel through the other pipe G, through coil H, and throu h pipe J', the pump C assist- 'L ing the circu ation of this Water through these pipes and driving the cold Water back 1 through the pipe D to the first vessel B.

As the water leaves the tank at \a lower temperature another thin shell of ice will be formed on the inner surface of the first shell. When the circulation'continues another shell Willifbe formed on the inner shell in the vesselB and a series of shells will be formed in al1 of the vessels in the system as the water .circulates While this operation of circulating the Wateris continued, the heat will be continuously extracted until all of the Water circulated through these pipes and through of F ,orfslightly lower.l If the Water is p kept in constant motion thgough these pipes it will not freeze solid to tne center. 'When the temperature of the water, however, has been reduced to 32o F. or lower I stop the pump and withdraw the pipes .F from the vessels. This is done by removing all the couplings, thegland E2 from the part E and withdrawing the pipes E which are ar- 'anged to carry the pipe F with it. As soon as this is done the water in each 'of these vessels will become quiet and freeze solid to the core without any milky or white parts or streaks in the center as is the case in ordinary artificial ice'. If desired, the entire circulation system including the pump C pipes l), J and J', vessels B, B' and coils lil may he filled with water which will be circulated by the pump C until its temperature is at or below 32 F. and thereafter it may be kept in :ireulation until the shells of ice in the vessels or cans B B have attained sufiicient thickness; after which the pipes E are re` moved as described above and the Water will freeze solid to the center.

To remove the cake of ice that has been .f frozen in the vessels B or B', the pipes D and J are uncoupled from the top of these vessels and a hoisting apparatus is fastened to the eye bolts bm and the vessel lifted from the tank, it being understood of course that the buttons a are turned to permit this. The bottom can be uncoupled from the sides and the top lifted longitudinally off of the cake of ice in any manner preferable.

In order to keep the Water that remains in the coils H and the pipes connected thereto from `freezing owing to the quiescent state of the water when the vessels B and B are removed. from the tanks A and A to obtain the solid body of ice frozen in these vessels, the water in the coils may be forced out by air under pressure from the pump C or other source.

I may connect to the pipes D and J a high v pressure-air pump which will force coin pressed air into the vessels B and B and when the apparatus is in operation, the air sure and mingling wit the Water in circulation will throw the water coming through the' pipes D and J into the vessels B and B in a spray and as this air expands as it entersthe vessel will also greatly lower the temperature of the Water and cause the ice to form in sheets or shells on the inside of the shells already formed.

My invention is 'intended to supply and employ very much lower temperature both externally and internally and through every part of the mass to attain the desired result of homogeneous and solid ice in a very short time.

While I have shawn one type of apparatus for oar ing out my invention, it is to be understooxfly that I do not limit myself to said apparatus-as many other types of apparatus may be used for effecting my recess, and various changes may be made in the form of apparatus shown .vithout departingr from my invention.

I claim:

1.. The herein described process. of forming ice which consists in freezing a shell of ice around a. body of Water, then lowering the temperature of the inclosed Water below the freezing point before it is permitted to freeze.

2. The herein described process of forming ice which consists in freezing a shell of ice around a bod ,of water then lowering the temperature of t e ice shell and of the water below the freezing point before the Water within the ice shell is ermitted to freeze.

3. The herein descri ed process of forming ice which consists in freezing a shell of ice around a body of water then withdrawing the water lowering its temperature beA low the freezing point and again introducing it into the shell of ice and permitting it to freeze.

4. In the process of forming ice, forming a shell of ice around a body of water, removing the water from the shell, lowering the temperature of the water below the freezing point returning the Water to the inside of the shell and forming another shell of ice within the first shell.

5. In the process of forming .ice which consists in forming a shell of ice' around a body of water, removing the water from the shell, lowering the temperature of the water below the freezing point, returning the Water to the shell, and permitting the Water to remain quiet in the shell so that it will freeze solid forming a homogeneous body of ice.

6. The process of forming ice which consists in freezing the outer surface of a body of Water into a. shell of i ce. removing the water from the shell lowering the temperature of the water, returning the water to the shell, forming another shell Within' the first shell, removing again the water from the shell, further lower-in the temperature of the Water, returning t e Water to the shell, permitting the water to remain quiet in the shell so that the Water will form into a solid body of ice.

7. The process of forming ice which consists in confining a body of water in a closed vessel, freezing the outer surface of the said body of water to form a shell of ice, forcing air under pressure and at a lower tem rature on the water within the shell and t ereby removing the water from the shell, lowering the temperature of the water to the freezing point, returning the Water to the shell and permitting the water to remain quiet in the shell, so that it will form into a body of ice.

8. Produci g a. shell of ice by cooling the water in a d losed vessel, withdrawing the water by forcing cold air under pressure on top of said water, lowering the temperature ofthe Water and of the ice so formed, removing the water lfrom the vessel and successively returning the Water to the vessel under forced pressure whereby the Water Will enter the vessel in aA spray and be converted into ice and form on the ice previously formed in the vessel as and for the purposes set forth.

9. .The process of converting a liquid into a solid form, which comprises freezing a body of liquid by first freezingV the outer portion, then successively depositing the liquid at a temperature below the freezing point on the Walls of the previously frozen portion, and freezing the deposited liquid.

10. .The process of converting aV liquid into a soli-il form, which comprises freezing the outer portions of a body of liquid, removing-the inner unfrozen liquid, lowerin the temperature of the removed liquid an replacing the liquid of lowered temperature in contact with the frozen portion and permit ting it to freeze.

11. The herein described process of forming ice, which consists in freezing a shell of ice around a body of water, then causing the water to circulate, lowering the temperature of the circulating water below the freezing point, stopping the circulation, and permitting the water to freeze.

1Q. The herein described process of form ing ice, which consists in vfreezing a shell of ice around a body of water, cuuslng the Water tocirculate from and back into the interior of said shell, lowering the temperature of the water below the freezing point while circulating, and then stoppingvthe circulation and permitting the Water to freeze.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. y f

WILLARD O. FELT.

lVitnesses M. H. LooKwooD, JOHN A. KEHLENBECK. 

